Emulsion treater



Oct. 27, 1953 C c, JOHNSON 2,656,925

EMULSION TREATER Filed June 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l cEc/L c. JOHNSONINVENTOR 20 /ZZL'H A1 FORNEY Oct. 27, 1953 c. c. JOHNSON 2,656,925

EMULSION TREATER Filed June 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CEC/L C JOHNSON IN'VEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 EMULSION THEATER Cecil C.Johnson, Kermit, Tex.

Application June 15, 1950, Serial No. 168,252

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in emulsion treaters forseparating water from oil- Water emulsions produced from oil wells.Particularly, the invention has reference to emulsion treaters whereinthe emulsion is heated to effect the separation of the water from theoil.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a horizontal fire tubealong the interface between the separated oil and water in the treatertank, and whereby additional separation may be readily effected byintroducing additional emulsion and at the same time draining orbleeding the separated water. By employing a long horizontal treatingtank, and positioning the fire tube or tubes horizontally through theapproximate center of the tank, a relative large interface may betreated, and at the same time a constant temperature of a requireddegree may be maintained. substantially throughout the length of thetank. The fire tube and tank arrangement referred to is capable oftreating large volumes of emulsion in relatively short periods of time.

Another feature of the invention resides in a construction wherein thefluids within the tank remain in a nearly static condition duringoperation, and whereby the interface between the .water and oil is notappreciably disturbed. Since the separation takes place primarily alongthe interface, such static condition increases the efficiency of thetreater.

Another feature of the invention is a slip joint assembly between oneend of the fire tube and the corresponding end of the tank and wherebythe elongation and longitudinal contraction of the tube is accommodated.The construction of the slip joint is such that the packing is notsubjected to the high temperature of the fire tube, but is mounted in amanner so that the temperature of the packing is substantially equal tothat of the fluids within the tank. Additionally, the arrangementprovides for the removal of the tube for removing scale or for makingrepairs.

A further feature or object of the invention is the provision of a gasaccumulation chamber constructed to prevent venting the gas which isinherently present in the crude petroleum emulsion before proceessing.In the present invention, the gas which accumulates in the top of thechamber may be conveyed to storage along with the separated oildischarged from the processing tank, from where it is subsequentlyremoved.

A further object is to provide an oil-water emulsion treater havingrelatively few controls, and whereby the operation is made relativelysimple.

These and other objects of the invention will be more readily understoodby reference to the accompanying drawings and the following descriptionof an exemplary form of the invention.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of an oil-water emulsion treater embodyingthe features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the treater illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation and sectional view of the processingtank and its adjoining parts.

Figure 4 is an enlarged broken sectional view of one end of theprocessing tank and showing the slip joint assembly in section.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 indicates a vertical cylindrical chamberor gas accumulator having an inlet l I connected between its upper andlower ends for receiving the oil-water emulsion. A cylindricalhorizontal processing tank 12 is positioned lower than the chamber [0and has one of its lower ends connected with the lower end of thechamber It by means of a conduit I3. A vertical conduit it extends fromthe: upper end of the tank I2 opposite the conduit I3 and has a safetyrelief valve I5 connected with its upper end. Still another conduit l6connects the upper end of the chamber [0 with the vertical conduit 14near its upper end, and an oil discharge line it is connected with thelatter (l4) near its lower end.

A water bleeder line [B is connected with the bottom and end of the tank[2 opposite the conduit l3 and includes a pivoted siphon i9 and adiaphragm operated valve 20 connected therein and outwardly from saidtank. Flanged unions 2| connect the lower ends of the siphon 19 with thebleeder line 18 and whereby the referred to pivotal action may becarried out for changing the siphons relative height. A gas pressureline 22 is connected between the valve 20 and the upper end of thevertical conduit l4, and a flexible and relatively long equalizer line23 is connected between the upper end of the siphon l9 and the upper endof the pressure line 22. The arrangement of the siphon I9, valve 20,pressure line 22, and equalizer line 23 are conventional and in thepresent invention are for regulating the elevation of the interface 24between the oil 25 and water 26, as shown in Figure 4. It is to beunderstood that any suitable fluid level control may be employed for thelast described purpose.

A furnace 21 is secured by bolts 218 in one end of the tank I2, and inthe form of the invention assume shown includes a pair of fire tubes 29in horizontal parallel relation and joined by means of a Y connection 30to an extending tube 3!. The Y connection 30 and the fire tubes 29 maybe eliminated and a single tube, such as 3| extended, may be substitutedtherefor and yet be within the scope of the present invention. The firetube extension 3| is positioned through the end of the tank I! oppositethe furnace 21 where it is provided with "a eyliiidrical jacket 32having a closed outer end #3 for connection with said extension.Although not shown in the drawings, the last described parts 3|, 32 and33 may be welded together in the positions described,- A cylindricalpacking housing 34 is welded or otherwise secured to the end of the tankWahd'arou'nd and spaced from the jacket 32. The outer end of the housing34 is flanged, -as at 35, to a'c'com modate bolts 36 for retaining apacking holding ring 31. Packing material 38 is contained within thehousing and is in sliding contact with the outer surface of the jacket32. If desired, the eutet-eha of the extension 3'! may be provided witha'f lue ifll'zfor drawing the flame from the iurnace"through the ttibes2S, and for directing 'the'he'at upwardly'above the apparatus.A-pressure gage to ma be connected with the conduit l6,- if desired. V

in e'pe'r'a'tio'n, the o'il water emulsion is'introduced to the chamberIn through the inlet 11, and red'bygrayityinto the tank [2. Heatsuppii'e'dby the are tubes 29' and the extension 3:

initially separates the water 26 and the oil '25 to to in theinterface2'4.

Siiieethe temperature of the fire tubes 23 is greater than thetemperature 'of the tank, the former""iipaiidslofigithdinally to thegreater detree than the latter; However, the described action betwee theacket 32 and the packing 3s permits expansion-and contraction of thefire tube'sbvitfiout loss of fluid from the tank I2.

'Continuecjrappiication bf heat along the interiace ii'further'separatesthe oil 25 and water 26. 'By' reason of thepressure in the inlet 11,"additibnal emulsion is introduced into the tank byway "of the conduitl3. since the untreated "emulsion islightertl'ra'n water and heavierthan "oil, it will seek a1eve1'a1eng the interface '22.

"The inereasedn jfolume of water 26 raises the intense reeled by reasonof its increased height,

a portion of the'wat'er is forced over the sip-hon l9. The weight of theWater 26 in the outer liegpf thefsiphdn f9 opens the valve 2% and isdisoharged. it the same time a'portion of the increased volume of oil isconveyed to storage "through the discharge H'. 'By reason of theequalized pressures-on opposite sides of the diaphragmiilfd" o'fthevelve'ze', only the weight of "thefwatfer' intlie outer leg of thesiphon 1 9 will epeheeidyswe, Thus, pressure variations 'intl le tank I!Willndt fiifbe the interface 2 4 130 tall 4 below the level determinedby the height of the siphon I9. The described operation does notmaterially disturb the fluids in the tank [2.

The present invention is not limited to the specific construction hereinshown and described, but may be made in many ways within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an emulsion treater for separating oil and water from oil-wateremulsions; a processing tank, a horizontal fir-e tube extending throughsaid tank and having one end secured to one end of said tank, acylindrical jacket surrounding the remaining end of said fire tube andcommunicating' with said tank and having a closed outer end connected tosaid fire tube, said jacket being mounted for movement through theremaining end of said tank when said fire tube longitudinally expandsand contracts, a packing secured to the last referred to end of saidtank and positioned around said jacket, means introducing the emulsionto be treated into the bottom of said tank and separate meansdischarging the separated oil and separated water from the upper andlower portions of said tank, respectively.

2;. In an emulsion; treater as defined in claim 1, the constructionwherein said fire tubeis comprised of a pair ofhori'zontal paralleltubes having corresponding ends thereof secured to one end. of saidtank, a 'Y connection j'o'ihi'ng the remaining ends of said tubes withinsaid tank, and an extension tube connected with said Y connection andextending through said packing. 3. 'i'n'anemulsion treater as defined inclaim "L 'the construction wherein said are tube is comp'rised of a pairofhori'z'ontal parallel t'ub'es having corresponding ends thereofsecured to one end of seid tenk, a Y connection joining the remainingends of Said tubes Within said tank, and an exten ion tube connectedwith said Y connection and extending through said jacket.

